


Threats

by Lirealwrites



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: 5+1 but not really, Hugo wants to call Eugene Rider but Varian asked him not to, I got off topic, M/M, Nigel and Quirin don't get nicknames for seperate reasons, Nigel is probably ooc but oh well, fun drinking game: take a shot everytime i use the same sentence structure, gotta sprinkle in those italics for extra flavor you know, how many nicknames can Hugo use for Varian, i dont like him enough to care, if theres a problem please dm me about it, me setting up things only to never explain them? its more likely than you think, no beta we die like men, nuru has a mini crush on cass but it doesnt go anywhere dont worry, there is one f bomb, varian stop leaving hugo alone with your scary family, we all know that Hugo got multiple shovel talks and here they are for your reading pleasure, whats grammar i dont know her, why show not tell when i could aggressively tell, writing style changes every new scenario oh well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24991537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lirealwrites/pseuds/Lirealwrites
Summary: To say Hugo was nervous was an understatement. He had already been stressed about meeting Varian’s dad, knowing how much his opinion meant to Varian and knowing that Quirin would probably kill him if he ever heard about the whole betrayal incident. After all, just because Varian had forgiven him didn’t mean his family would.--Five times Varian's family threatened Hugo and the one time they would threaten someone else.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 210





	Threats

**Author's Note:**

> I stole this idea from the 7k server and ran with it, so here's the finished product. 
> 
> Tws: There is one f bomb at the end of the first segment, and Hugo gets slammed against a wall and dropped in the fourth segment, kidnapping and drugging for the second segment, threatening
> 
> Quick exposition because I don't feel like writing it in: The first segment takes place while the 7k gang is still on the road and while Hugo is still in denial, the second segment takes place right before the final trial, and the rest takes place after the library is opened. Varian and Hugo got together on the return trip after dropping off Nuru and Yong but don't want to say anything yet. 
> 
> Enjoy

Hugo was having a terrible day and was fed up enough that his thoughts had moved on from Varian to strangling the girl sitting across from him. Varian laughed again, that beautiful, amazing laugh, and Hugo clenched his hands into fists. It was just his luck that the scary sword lady - or _Cassandra_ , as Varian had called her - they almost got in a fight with happened to be best friends with Varian. He should probably be grateful that she hadn't slit their throats over the campsite, but it was hard to be grateful when she was making Varian laugh like that with some stupid story about her taking down the leader of the local gang while he was drunk in a bar and turning him in to the guards. It didn’t help that when he had pulled Varian aside and demanded to know everything about her, he had awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and started rambling about how she saved him one time and how he had an embarrassing crush on her for a while that had never been reciprocated. Hugo had started to press him for more, but Varian had gotten that weird distant look in his eye and shook his head.

“I know she looks scary, but she’s actually really nice. You don’t have to worry about her attacking us or anything,” He had assured Hugo. Hugo had laughed and patted Varian’s head. 

“It’s cute that you think I’m scared of her, short stack.” Varian had huffed and batted Hugo’s hands away from his hair. 

“You’re the one who dragged me over here demanding to hear her life story.” Hugo rolled his eyes. 

“Hey, I wanted to make sure she wasn’t a crazy ex or something. Gotta make sure I don’t have competition.” He winked at Varian, who shoved his face backward. Hugo could have sworn his face was redder than normal, but it was probably more from embarrassment than anything else. He tapped his chin in mock contemplation. “Although, considering the whole _‘I-once-had-a-crush-on-her-and-she-never-liked-me-back’_ thing, I’m not completely sure how to feel.” Varian had rolled his eyes and started to walk back over to the rest of the camp. 

“Like an idiot,” He called back.

Now, even Nuru and Yong seemed entranced with her. Yong he could understand, the kid practically imprinted on anyone who would say something nice, but he was annoyed with Nuru. She _still_ didn’t fully trust him, even after months of travel, but the girl with a sword who had threatened them over a campsite not even a day prior earned her trust as soon as Varian had shouted in recognition. Nuru never trusted anyone that fast. He glared at Nuru so he didn’t have to think about how happy Varian was to see Sword Girl. Actually, now that he thought about it, Nuru’s face looked really red, and her eyes were slightly dazed as she stared at the girl. Hugo’s eyes narrowed. Of course Nuru would have a crush on Sword Lady. Who didn’t have a crush on her at this point? He huffed and switched to glaring at the fire. Stupid Sword Lady and her stupid habit of breaking hearts.

The fire burned lower and lower until it was only a collection of glowing embers. The loss of heat must have broken Varian out of Sword Lady’s trance, and he looked down at the fire in surprise, then awkwardly tugged at his glove.

“It’s getting late Yong, you should really get some sleep,” Yong whined and started to protest, but Sword Lady stood up and stretched out. Hugo pretended not to notice Nuru’s look of complete adoration. 

“No, the kid’s right. You should all get some sleep,” she grabbed the nearby bucket of water and dumped it over the embers.

“I’ll take first watch.” Hugo bit back the urge to scream. There was no way he was trusting Sword Girl enough to actually sleep. Varian just nodded in acceptance and dragged Yong back to his tent. Nuru looked disappointed, but stood up and headed into her own tent. Sword Lady gave him a weird look when he didn’t move. “Are you planning on spending the night out here?” She asked. In an attempt to resist being openly hostile, Hugo shrugged.

“I’m used to taking first shift, it would feel weird to sleep this early.” She looked at him in disbelief but didn’t press him. She merely picked a log to sit on and wrapped herself in a blanket, pulling out a small book and writing supplies. Hugo rolled his eyes but felt assured that he at least wouldn’t have to put up with a conversation.

“How long have you two been together?” She asked. Or not.

“What?” he asked bitterly. She looked at him in surprise, but Hugo couldn’t tell if it was from his tone or his answer.

“How long have you and Varian been together?” Hugo looked at her blankly before he burst out laughing, clapping a hand over his mouth in an attempt to let the others sleep. When he finally calmed down, he met her annoyed gaze.

“Me and Chuckles? Nah, there’s nothing there.” She raised an eyebrow. Hugo shrugged. “There isn’t.” Sword Girl sighed and put her supplies down, then was suddenly only inches from him. Shocked by the sudden move, Hugo jerked back.

“He clearly likes you, and I’m pretty sure you like him too. So I'm telling you now, you better treat him right because if I catch wind of you hurting him in the slightest, I will not hesitate to hunt you down and slowly tear the limbs from your body.” Hugo stared at her with wide eyes, at a loss for words. She chuckled and patted his shoulder, then gathered her things and headed to her tent. “Have fun with the rest of your shift.” He slowly moved his gaze from her retreating figure to the treeline. What the fuck had just happened?

* * *

Hugo picked at the sheets on the bed in the room he had been shown to. He scoffed. He still couldn’t believe that they were staying in the castle before the final trial. He glanced around the room again. At least he would be able to sleep in a proper bed tonight. He sighed, getting to his feet. There was nothing to do here, and while he was tired and should be resting, he was also lonely. After being stuck with the same four people for the past two years, it was unsettling to be alone. Hugo decided he would go find Nuru’s room and try to convince her to go out in town with him, maybe they could go check out some shops or just hang out. They could swing by Yong’s room too, but Hugo had a sneaking suspicion that he was actually sleeping, otherwise, he probably would already have come to find Hugo. He’d ask Varian, but he had gone out to visit his father, and Hugo had no desire to interrupt. Set in his decision, Hugo stood up and left the room, sauntering down the hall over to where he vaguely remembered Nuru’s room was. He lifted his hand and was about to knock when he saw a flash of red out of the corner. Instantly suspicious, he turned toward it with a frown. He felt tiny hairs rise on the back of his neck and he whipped around again, coming face to face with a teenage girl with black hair who smiled at him maliciously. Despite finding the smile unnerving, Hugo felt himself deflate slightly.

“Are you lost or something…?” He trailed off when the girl reached into her pocket and threw something at his face. He flinched back, dread creeping over him when he recognized the bright green powder too late. He felt himself losing consciousness and was forced to collapse backward, where he was caught in the arms of another girl, this time with red hair. He vaguely registered them pulling him up and putting his arms over their shoulders before he closed his eyes and gave in to the effects of the sleeping powder.

Hugo jumped awake as he was overwhelmed by the feeling of cold and damp. He looked around, seeing two girls with a bucket. His head spun, and he struggled to piece together the situation. His clothes were wet, and he looked back at the bucket. The girls must have thrown the water on him to wake him. He scrutinized the girls, who he now realized were the same ones from the hallway. The same ones who had thrown sleeping powder in his face and dragged him off to who knows where. Slowly, a mix of annoyance and terror made itself known.

“Who the hell are you?” He grumbled, going to stand before realizing his arms were tied behind his back. The one with black hair started to circle around him.

“You’re really pathetic, I have no clue what V sees in you,” She said scathingly. Hugo huffed.

“I’m sorry, what did you say to me?”

“I said you’re pathetic and I have no clue what V sees in you.”

“Who the hell is V?” He grumbled. The girl facepalmed.

“Your boyfriend.” Hugo choked on air and started coughing.

“I don’t have a boyfriend!”

“So you’re not dating Varian?” The girl with red hair finally spoke up. Hugo started to laugh, still occasionally coughing.

“Oh, that’s rich.” He wiped away a few tears. “Nah, the itsy bitsy alchemist and I aren't together.” The two girls glared at him for a minute, then turned to each other, having some sort of silent conversation between themselves. They both nodded, then turned back to him.

“Since you aren’t dating V, we have decided that you will be spared for now.” The black-haired girl said. The other one went behind him and untied his arms. “However, since you probably will get together, we feel that it is important you know that if you ever hurt him, we won’t hesitate to drag you down here again.” She pulled a knife out of her pocket and started playing with it. “And when that happens, we will make sure no one ever finds your body.” She grinned at him, then motioned to the other girl. The other girl grabbed the rope and they both ran off through a door behind him. He sighed, then got to his feet and started to follow them. He had to find a way out of here and then would need to sleep off the effects of the sleeping powder before the final trial. So much for hanging out with Nuru.

* * *

To say Hugo was nervous was an understatement. He had already been stressed about meeting Varian’s dad, knowing how much his opinion meant to Varian and knowing that Quirin would probably kill him if he ever heard about the whole _betrayal_ incident. After all, just because Varian had forgiven him didn’t mean his family would. So, when Varian had run towards an absolute giant of a man who had arms as thick as Varian’s whole body, Hugo was shaking enough that even Ruddiger looked mildly concerned. Taking a deep breath, Hugo put on a mask of smug nonchalance. He had dealt with worse. After a long moment of hugging Varian, Quirin looked up at Hugo, squinting slightly as he did so. Hugo returned his gaze, desperately trying to hide how uncomfortable he felt under his scrutinizing gaze. Quirin finally pulled back from the hug, opting to tuck Varian under his arm instead.

“Varian, who’s your friend?” Varian flashed Hugo a bright smile.

“Dad, this is Hugo.” Quirin’s expression shifted, a tiny smile appearing as he looked between Varian and Hugo. He leaned forward and clapped Hugo on the shoulder with his free hand, seemingly oblivious to the way Hugo nearly collapsed from the sheer force of it.

“It’s nice to meet you.” He moved his hand away from his shoulder and let it hang by his side, then turned his attention back to Varian. “Let’s go get some lunch, I want to hear all about your adventure.” He shot another look at Hugo, who caught on instantly. Quirin must know that there was something between them, which probably meant that he wanted to take them somewhere more private so he could murder Hugo easier. He swallowed nervously. For his part, Varian just looked up at his father, clearly confused.

“But I told you everything in my letters?” Bless his oblivious heart, he clearly hadn’t caught on yet, and Hugo wasn’t going to risk his Quirin’s wrath by trying to clue him in. Quirin waved off Varian’s concern.

“I’d like to hear it in person, and I’m sure Hugo has a few things to add.” Quirin shot him a reassuring smile that did absolutely nothing to reassure him. Hugo shoved his panic down and returned the smile.

“Lunch would be good.” 

Of course, Varian had neglected to mention that his dad had been part of an elite group of knights and had been training since he was a kid. Once Quirin left to poke around the kitchen to find some cups, Hugo glared at Varian.

“Why didn’t you tell me your dad was an _elite knight?”_ He hissed. Varian sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Umm...it never really came up, I guess?” Varian met Hugo’s deadpan stare and shrugged. “Sorry,” He muttered. Hugo sighed and dramatically and draped an arm over his eyes.

“Goggles, do me a favor and ask your dad to make it as quick as possible.” He muttered, trying to keep his voice down so Quirin wouldn’t hear them. He lifted his arm off his eyes in time to see Varian roll his eyes.

“He won’t do anything to you.” Hugo heard footsteps approach and quickly straightened his spine, politely (he practically snorted at how out of character that was for him) accepting the water Quirin offered him.

“So, how did you two meet?” Quirin asked, handing Varian a glass of water as well and seating himself. Varian looked at Hugo apologetically.

“Well, you know that after Yong and I solved the first trial, Hugo showed up and stole the first totem...” Hugo blanched and watched Quirin’s reaction carefully, expecting fury. However, Quirin’s face remained impassive and Hugo mentally kicked himself. He had completely forgotten that Varian had constantly written letters and that Quirin probably already knew everything about him. Well, except for the thing where he had been going to betray the group. “...and then showed up the next day and returned it, then asked to join the group...”

As Varian rambled on about their adventure, Hugo continued to watch Quirin’s face carefully, only stopping to add in fun bits to tease Varian. Quirin’s face remained stretched in a warm smile as he fondly watched Varian ramble and to Hugo’s surprise, a small, secret smile would grace his face whenever Hugo was brought up. Since this was the first time he'd met Quirin, he hadn’t spent enough time around him to read him well. It didn’t help that Quirin was clearly trained to keep his cool. As he pondered, he remembered Varian vaguely alluding to not having many friends when he was growing up. Maybe Quirin’s smile was fueled by pride in his son making friends? That would explain why it happened whenever Hugo was brought up, but as he continued to study Quirin he was forced to dismiss that thought. He didn’t smile the same way when Varian recounted Nuru’s amazing fighting skills or Yong nearly blowing up the camp. As he was struggling to piece everything together, Varian finally stopped rambling to breathe - who knows how he made it that far in the first place - and Quirin took the opportunity to speak up.

“How did the two of you figure it out?” Varian completely stopped, obviously confused, and looked up at his father. Hugo could practically see his brain spin as he tried to piece together the sentence with what he had been talking about previously.

“You mean the trial? Well, actually Nuru figured that one out, there were-”

“I meant to ask when the two of you figured out your relationship?” Quirin interrupted. Varian immediately started stuttering, and Hugo felt a weird sense of panic and relief wash over him. That explained the weird smiling at least.

“Our-our re-relationship?” Varian asked, his voice weirdly high. “I-where did you get that i-idea? I-no!” Thankfully, Varian seemed to realize he was digging himself into a deeper hole and shut up, sinking further into the chair. Hugo quickly took over.

“There’s nothing going on between us,” he said, glad his lying skills were still absolutely flawless. Quirin however, didn’t seem convinced, which, given Varian’s reaction, was practically a given. Hugo watched as Quirin slowly seemed to come to a new conclusion, then nodded.

“I see.” Thankfully, he dropped the subject and moved on, asking Varian about how Nuru had figured out the trial. Hugo let out a breath of relief. Even though Quirin didn’t seem mad, he was still nervous about whatever conclusion Quirin had come to. For all he knew, he could be convinced that Hugo was manipulating Varian and was just hiding his reaction so he could bide his time and kill Hugo in a way that wouldn’t tip off Varian so that Varian would never suspect- Hugo took a deep breath to calm himself. Best not to think about all the ways Varian’s dad could very easily kill him. After all, the more nervous he seemed, the more suspicious he was. So, he buried his thoughts deep, deep down, and watched Varian wave his arms around to accompany his rambling.

Eventually, Ruddiger started chittering and pawing at Varian’s face. Varian looked over at him, his face morphed into confusion. Ruddiger chittered again and his expression shifted into realization.

“Oh, I’ll be right back, I’m going to go make Ruddiger some food.” He scampered off to the kitchen, and Hugo felt cold dread when he realized he was left alone with Quirin, who was standing up and walking over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“My son likes you,” He said, his voice much more rumbly and scary than Hugo remembered. The grip on his shoulder suddenly tightened. “I hope you don’t get any ideas about hurting him.” Hugo found himself desperately stuttering for an answer and he hated it, stuttering was a Varian thing, it wasn’t something Hugo did. Quirin looked at him expectantly, and he was finally able to speak.

“I-I don’t want to hurt him, ever.” Quirin narrowed his eyes at him, but nodded at him and let go of his shoulder.

“I’ll hold you to that.” He sat back down in his chair just as Varian came back into the room, Ruddiger sitting on his shoulder while devouring a sandwich. Varian caught sight of Hugo and looked at him in concern.

“Are you ok?” Hugo just gave him a shaky thumbs-up. Varian didn’t look convinced, but Quirin started asking him about how he met Yong and he dropped the subject. Hugo gladly took this opportunity to reflect on his most recent near-death experience. If that was how Quirin reacted when he thought Varian had a crush on him, who knew how he would react when he found out that Hugo had been a sell-out and that they were dating. Hugo frowned. Varian’s family was annoyingly scary.

* * *

Of _course_ , Varian knew more members of the freaky knights group. Of _course_ , Varian wanted him to meet them. Hugo took one step into the room and twin glares instantly pinned themselves on him. Following the glares back to their sources, he saw a man and a woman standing next to each other, both clearly armed. He gulped, and the man smirked. Varian pulled him along as he approached them.

“Hugo, this is my Aunt Adira and my Uncle Hector. Adira, Hector, this is Hugo.” The woman grabbed his hand with a vice-like grip, shaking it vigorously. Hugo’s eyes traveled to her face, half of which was painted red - _with blood_ , a part of Hugo said. He quickly shoved that thought down. She smiled at him and Hugo couldn’t tell him if she was trying to reassure him or if it was a threat. Probably the latter.

“Hello, Glasses,” She said. Hugo looked at Varian in confusion, but he just shrugged. The angry guy smirked at him again and Hugo felt his panic rise. Whatever he was planning, it wouldn’t end well for Hugo. At least he had Varian with him.

A tall man with earrings ran through the hallway behind them, holding something that was smoking. Varian’s attention immediately snapped to the man and his mouth opened in horror.

“Lance! Put that down!” He sprinted into the hallway after the man, and Hugo watched him go, panic flooding into him. Before he even turned his head back to look at the other two, he was roughly grabbed by the front of his shirt and slammed against the wall, his feet dangling above the ground. He looked down to see the angry guy looking up at him, his mouth twisted in a terrifying smirk.

“So,” he drawled. “You think you’re good enough for my nephew.” Hugo, despite the gravity of the situation, found himself scoffing.

“I _know_ I’m not good enough for him.” Angry Guy lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

“I guess you’re not as stupid as you look.” The scary woman came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, her face the picture of amusement.

“Now, now, brother, I think we’ve scared him enough for one day. Besides, our nephew will easily subdue Earrings and be back here soon enough.” Angry Guy looked at her in annoyance but relented and dropped Hugo, letting him fall to the ground. Hugo huffed and moved to stand up, but was stopped by a foot placed firmly on his chest. “That being said,” Scary Woman smiled serenely at him, “Try anything and we won’t hold back.” She moved her foot off his chest and Angry Guy pulled him back up and placed him in a standing position, just in time for Varian to come back in the room, muttering furiously about what a hazard Lance was.

* * *

Hugo really didn’t know how to feel about the Queen. He was caught between finding her kindness and excitement annoying or a welcome change from the nobles he was used to. At this very moment she was herding him, Varian and Rider- or _Eugene_ \- towards her room, where she said there was a surprise waiting. Varian, at the very least, looked excited, so Hugo decided he could put up with the Queen’s shenanigans for a little bit. Varian shot him that beautiful smile and Hugo felt himself soften. He responded with a soft smile, ignoring _Eugene’s_ disapproving frown. Earlier, _Eugene_ had pulled him aside and tried to give him a strange version of the shovel talk. Hugo had ended up breaking down in a laughing fit after the first sentence and waltzed away, leaving the man sputtering in anger. Hugo figured he was probably mad about it, but he couldn't do anything with Varian here. He had a feeling that Varian would probably get mad when he found that everyone who was even remotely close to him had pulled Hugo aside to threaten him, but he had opted not to tell him. He knew better than to snitch and, if he was being honest, part of him felt like he deserved it.

He was broken out of his thoughts when the Queen ushered them through a set of doors into a large, circular room. Hugo glanced around, evaluating the room and all the exits. The walls were covered in painted designs, even up at the top, and the floor was covered in layers of fluffy blankets and plush pillows. As he tried to figure out how the painter got up there and why they bothered, he was once again snapped out of his thoughts by the Queen offering him a seat. He gave her a small smile and took a seat on the floor. Varian tripped and pitched forward and Hugo quickly shoved a few pillows in his general direction to break the fall, not that it would have been hard either way. Varian shot him a grateful smile after he picked himself up and Hugo winked, delighting a little too much in _Eugene’s_ offended expression. He reluctantly moved his gaze from Varian’s flushed face to the Queen’s when she clapped her hands together, her lips twisted in a pout.

“I can’t believe I forgot the snacks!” She turned to her husband with a smile. “You wouldn’t mind, would you?” _Eugene_ looked confused for a second before his face lit up in understanding.

“Right, of course, I wouldn’t mind,” He answered. Hugo frowned. They were up to something. His suspicions were confirmed when _Eugene_ turned to Varian. “Care to lend a hand, Goggles?” Varian looked surprised before his eyes widened.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” He took _Eugene’s_ outstretched hand and let the man pull him up, not catching the look he shot Hugo. Hugo frowned. It seemed he was in for another shovel talk, this time from the Queen. This ought to be good. As soon as the door closed behind Varian, Hugo sighed.

“If I hurt him, you’ll kill me, really, I get-” He turned and cut himself off in shock. The Queen had moved into his personal space and was leaning close to him with a menacing look that could rival an angry Cyrus on her face. She moved forward even more and Hugo found himself scooting back on his hands until he felt the cold wall against his back. Her arms came up on either side of his face, and Hugo sorely regretting underestimating her.

“So, Hugo,” Her voice had taken on a low, commanding tone, and Hugo could safely say he was terrified. “You and Varian?” He desperately searched his mind for words and sputtered incoherently before finally making sense of his swirling thoughts.

“We-we’re n-not actually togeth-to-together.” The Queen’s eyes widened, and she looked off to the side, reevaluating. Hugo made the mistake of letting out a sigh of relief. Her eyes instantly snapped back to him and he swallowed nervously.

“Do you like him?” She demanded, but Hugo just stared up at her in fear. Outside the door, he could hear _Eugene’s_ obnoxious voice, although it sounded louder than normal. The Queen heard it too, and Hugo realized he was probably doing it on purpose to warn her. She quickly dragged Hugo away from the wall by his collar and deposited him on the cushions, then took a seat next to him, her face transitioning back into its usual cheery grin. Hugo just stared at her blankly, only shaking himself out of his trance when Varian sat down beside him. He looked visibly ruffled, and Hugo couldn’t help but be concerned. He turned back to _Eugene_ , who gave the Queen a small nod, and watched as she nodded back. This couldn’t possibly end well. 

* * *

While Hugo had decided that the Queen was alright, he really hated the royal advisor. Nigel had an annoying uppity accent that was probably fake, and he seemed to think that he was better than everyone else. He was practically the same as the stuck up, self-serving nobles that Hugo hated. As if that wasn’t enough, Varian had told him all about everything that Nigel had done to him over the years. So, when he passed Nigel on his way to the Library, he just ignored him, even though he would have loved to give him a piece of his mind. Varian had asked him to be nice, though, and Hugo wasn’t one to deny him such a request. As Hugo continued past Nigel, Nigel turned and started to follow him. Instantly on edge, Hugo quickened his pace and changed his path, hoping to lose Nigel. Nigel copied Hugo, continuing to follow him through the halls. Hugo sighed. He clearly wasn’t about to lose him, so he turned around and waited for Nigel to catch up.

“Why are you following me?” He asked. Nigel glared at him.

“I’m making sure you’re not doing anything _nefarious_. Since the Captain of the Guard refuses to do anything, I’ve had to step up and ensure the safety of the castle and its inhabitants.” He puffed out his chest. Hugo rolled his eyes.

“Wow, what a hero,” He remarked dryly. Nigel snarled at him.

“You’d do well to keep in line, boy. I’ll know if you do anything.” Hugo put a hand on his chest in mock fear.

“Oh no, whatever will I do? How can I steal things when you’re watching my every move?” He raised his pitch slightly, relishing in Nigel’s annoyance.

“Who’s watching?” Hugo grinned and turned to face the new voice.

“Hello my dearest beloved boyfriend,” He greeted. Varian smiled at him in response, then frowned when he saw Nigel.

“Oh,” He muttered. Nigel glared at Varian.

“I was making sure that the criminal,” he gestured grandly to Hugo, who waved, “over there isn’t causing any trouble.” He shot a look at Varian, who bristled. “Of course, we wouldn’t want him to get caught stealing, would we?” Hugo saw Varian’s eyes narrow and almost felt sorry for Nigel. Almost. Varian clenched his fists at his sides and glared at Nigel.

“Of course, we wouldn’t want that. We also wouldn’t want a certain Captain finding out that his job is being taken over, would we?” Varian asked, a small smirk working its way onto his face. Nigel sputtered, and Varian stepped in closer. “If you ever insult Hugo again, I’ll tell Eugene _everything_. And I’m sure he’ll have no hesitations about passing the information along to the Queen.” Nigel blanched and Varian grinned, turning back to Hugo. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a library to curate.” Varian grabbed Hugo’s arm and Hugo let himself be dragged along until Nigel was out of sight.

“Hate to break it to you, short stack, but this isn’t the way to the Library.” Varian didn’t look at him.

“I’m aware.” Varian continued dragging him along and Hugo felt the need to stop him before he did something he would regret. He tugged Varian back, and Varian stopped and turned to look at him.

“What are we doing?” He asked.

“We’re going to find Eugene and I’m going to tell him all about what Nigel said to you.” Varian turned again and started walking again, and Hugo ran to catch up.

“As much as I would love to rat on Nigel, I have a condition.” Varian turned to look at him in surprise. “If you tell _Eugene_ about Nigel, you need to include everything he’s said to you.” Varian frowned and slowed his walk. “He’d want to know,” Hugo reminded him.

“Rapunzel would probably fire him, and I don’t want that,” Varian muttered. Slowly, a malicious smile that Hugo would never admit to finding attractive crept across his face. “Or, I can convince her to get revenge.” He laughed maniacally, then grabbed Hugo again and dragged him along as he ran through the halls. “Oh, he’s going to regret threatening you.” Hugo laughed as he was dragged along, glad that Nigel would get what was coming to him. After all, if there was one thing Varian’s family had in common, it was the ability to make effective threats, and Hugo was glad to finally see someone else on the receiving end. He grinned. Nigel had no clue what he had gotten himself into.


End file.
